Invincible:Detonate

I sat there, surrounded by boxes of cleaning supplies and random junk that wasn't doing much to help me sort through the mess I was in. It wasn't a great plan, but it was the only one I had.

My heart was still pounding in my chest, my mind racing at a million miles per hour. Questions buzzed around in my head like an angry swarm of bees: Why me? Why Rex Splode? What the hell was Project REX? And most importantly, who the hell were these people who had been chasing me?

But I couldn't focus on all of that. Not yet. I had to pull myself together before I broke down.

I closed my eyes, leaned my head back against the wall, and took a slow, deliberate breath. The cool air didn't help much with the nausea still twisting my gut, but it was something.

Okay, calm down. Don't overthink it.

Step by step. That's how I was going to survive this.

I wasn't sure what the hell I was up against yet, but I knew one thing for sure: it wasn't just the normal world I used to know. This world had powers—real, raw abilities that could level cities in a heartbeat.

And I was sitting in the middle of it all, with the ability to make stuff explode.

Great.

I had to admit, I wasn't exactly equipped to handle all of this. I had no combat experience. No training. Hell, I couldn't even remember how I got into this mess. But I did have one thing—my wits. I wasn't going to let some group of faceless assholes catch me because I wasn't thinking clearly.

So, what was the next step?

I had to get a handle on my powers.

I knew Rex's power—it was pretty straightforward, right? He could make things explode. No big deal. It wasn't exactly the most versatile power, but it sure as hell could be useful in the right situation. Problem was, it wasn't like flipping a switch. My mind had to be in the right place. I had to focus.

But how was I supposed to focus when my head felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any second?

I gritted my teeth. No time for that.

I took a deep breath, pushed the discomfort aside, and focused on the simplest thing I could—my hand.

It wasn't easy at first. I could feel the pressure, like something was building inside me, but it wasn't quite there yet. Then—pop. A small explosion, a puff of air, and the old crate I was sitting on jerked slightly as the energy leaked out.

Okay. So I wasn't completely useless.

But I needed more than that. I needed control.

I stood up and walked to the back room's door. It was stupid, but I had to test it.

I stood up and walked to the back room's door. It was stupid, but I had to test it.

The door was thin, flimsy—barely standing upright in the frame. I concentrated, my fingers trembling slightly as I focused on it. The air around me felt heavy, like static before a thunderstorm.

"Come on, come on…" I muttered to myself.

And then, it happened.

The door exploded inward, splintering into a cloud of debris that rattled the walls and sent the few remaining boxes tumbling.

Okay. Okay, that was definitely more than I intended.

I rubbed my hand, feeling the burn from pushing too hard, but it was enough. I had power. Maybe not perfect control, but power nonetheless.

I stepped carefully through the mess, cursing under my breath as I looked around the storage room. There was no way the explosion went unnoticed.

I hadn't even thought about the damage I'd just caused. The noise, the destruction—this was the kind of thing that got noticed. If I was going to keep a low profile, I had to learn some restraint.

But first—answers.

I peeked through the door, making sure the store was still empty. No sign of anyone coming in, at least for now.

I stepped out and grabbed a few things off the shelf: snacks, a drink—whatever I could shove into my jacket to keep me going. It wasn't much, but I didn't have the luxury of taking my time.

I needed to figure out who was behind this. Whoever it was, they had me by the throat and weren't going to let go anytime soon.

I walked toward the front of the store, making sure to keep low, and froze when I saw a figure standing in the window across the street.

A guy in a suit. The same guy from earlier.

He was just standing there, looking straight at the store.

My blood ran cold.

Had he been following me this whole time? Had I led him straight to where I was hiding?

I didn't have time to think about it. I darted back into the storage room and slammed the door shut, my heart racing.

Okay. This was real now.

I wasn't just running from some random people anymore. Whoever this was? They knew exactly what they were doing. And they were after me.

It was time to stop running. I wasn't going to get caught again. Not if I could help it.

I pressed my back against the storage room wall, forcing myself to take slow, even breaths. The guy in the suit was still outside. Watching. Waiting.

He wasn't rushing in, which meant one of two things—either he didn't want to make a scene, or he had backup closing in.

Neither option was great.

I needed a way out. A quiet exit wasn't happening, not with my previous door-demolishing stunt. And walking out the front? Not unless I wanted to get grabbed the second I stepped outside.

That left the back.

I turned, scanning the room. No windows. Just shelves, cleaning supplies, and—there. A metal door marked Employees Only.

I rushed over and pushed against it. Locked. Of course.

I clenched my jaw. I could probably blow it open, but I was already on thin ice. More noise would only make things worse.

Think.

I took a step back, flexing my fingers. My control wasn't great yet, but if I could focus—maybe I could break the lock without sending the whole damn thing flying.

I pressed my hand against the door near the handle, concentrated, and pushed.

There was a pop—a tiny shockwave—before the lock broke apart and the door swung open.

Okay. That was progress.

I slipped outside, my body tense as I scanned the alley. Empty. For now.

I took a step forward—then stopped.

Footsteps.

Close.

I ducked behind a dumpster just as two figures rounded the corner. Suits. Same as the guy from the window.

"Nothing yet," one of them muttered, pressing a finger to his ear. "He's in the area. He won't get far."

I bit back a curse.

Who were these guys? Government? Private contractors? Some shady organization that decided I was their new science experiment?

It didn't matter. I just needed to lose them.

I stayed low, creeping along the alley. The street ahead was lit up, too exposed. If I went that way, they'd see me in seconds.

Instead, I spotted a fire escape along the side of the building.

Climbing wasn't my first choice—especially since my body still felt like I'd been hit by a truck twice—but I wasn't exactly swimming in options.

I grabbed the metal railing and pulled myself up. The rusted ladder groaned under my weight, but it held. Barely.

One step at a time.

I climbed fast, ignoring the burning in my arms and legs. When I reached the rooftop, I rolled onto my back, gasping for breath.

Then I heard voices below.

"Check the alley."

Shit.

I crawled to the edge, peering down. The two men were searching the area, their movements precise, methodical.

Not amateurs.

I needed to keep moving.

The rooftops stretched ahead—some close enough to jump to, others not so much. I took a breath, backed up a few steps, and ran.

My feet hit the edge. I pushed off.

For a split second, I was weightless.

Then—impact.

I hit the next roof hard, rolling to absorb the shock. My shoulder screamed in protest, but I was up again in seconds, moving.

No time to stop.

The city stretched ahead of me, dark and unfamiliar. I didn't know where I was going.

But I did know one thing.

I wasn't going to be their lab rat.

Not today.

Not ever.